If music is the food of love, pick your own band with Sayulita Audio Wedding & Event DJ Sound and Lighting. In this interview co-owner, DJ, and musical guru Noble falconer let's us in on the secret to throwing an unforgettable wedding party. Noble has been living and breathing music from an early age on, and he now frequently tours the US with his own band. Since 2012, he settled in Sayulita and has been catering to the musical needs of our town since.
Noble, you have been earning a living with music since you were only eighteen years old,
that's pretty impressive! How did this come about?
Well I started earning a living when I was 18 playing music, but I also bar-tended during the summer months. I just began by working myself into the local tourist gigs as well as playing college gigs in bars in Duluth, MN as well! I knew I had something to bring to the scene and felt I belonged there, so it came pretty naturally.
How does a professional musician end up specializing in weddings?
I ended up specializing in weddings after having been hired as a band and solo artist to performin so many. It's just such a fun vibe and such a celebration. Half of my life is being on tour, and I wanted the other half to be involved in music as well. Weddings are special. You can feel the love of the families coming together. It's always good vibes and always a privilege to be a part of. Even now, as Noble Sound System is playing music festivals and touring, I still have a soft spot for the occasional wedding gig.
How did you and Alejandro "Chino Del Valle" meet, and why did you decide to join
musical forces?
I met Chino when I moved to Sayulita. We were both in different bands in the music scene, but we played in each others outfits from time to time. Any time I return to Sayulita, even if I'm not with my band, I always end up playing music in Chino's bands and staying up way too late haha. Chino is a great local talent and inspiring entrepreneur!
From a musical point of view, what to you is the key to throwing an unforgettable
wedding party?
The key to throwing an unforgettable wedding party is knowing your audience, and not just the bride and groom. Of course, the couple is the most important, but it's also important to reach out to other wedding party members and see if there is anything they think would make the occasion more special. For example, I always reach out to the Best Man and the Maid of Honor to see if they've got any special songs they'd like played or a special speech they'd like to give. Some parties have requested a certain playlist for a slideshow that they've prepared, others have had surprise speeches that we've helped prepare for. We've even had some talented wedding party members perform a surprise song for the Bride and Groom while our band plays the backing music. It's small details like that which really stand out when the night is over.
What's the best song to get people dancing, and to eventually wind a party down in the
wee hours?
The best song to get people dancing depends on the audience. Since we're dealing with destination weddings I always like to make sure the party has a Mexican stamp on it. "Oye Como Va" is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. It's a wonderful Santana song that many of our local bands perform, and if it's a DJ night there are wonderful remixes that can heat up a dance floor. Winding down the party is usually not a problem. Weddings start early and the party usually brings itself to a natural conclusion; however, the final songs are important. If we've got a live band we always make sure they are prepared with a song or two for an encore as that is more often than not, what ends up happening. As a DJ you don't want to end the party on high or too low a note, but you also want the playlist to have a sense of conclusion as well. There is no magic song for every party as each party is different, and each party gets its own unique playlist. The important thing is that the song is a natural conclusion to the playlist for that specific night. Intuition is a huge part of what makes our DJs great!
What are some common misconceptions couples may have about wedding bands?
Common misconceptions that couples have about wedding bands are that they are just cover bands. Although in fairness this may usually be true, it certainly does not represent the bands available in Sayulita, especially the ones who work with us. It is important that our bands play songs that people do know and can sing along to; but we pride ourselves on bringing true musicians, who not only play, but also write and live music, to these weddings. There is something special about bands that write and record their own music. Not only does it make for a one-of-a-kind experience for the wedding party, to have a band performing original music, but there is always something special about how these musicians approach cover songs as well. Someone who writes music doesn't see a cover song as something that needs to be played exactly like it is on an album but rather will put their own flair into every song they play, whether they wrote it or not. We choose bands that really have their own sound!
Have you noticed a shift in musical wedding choices with e.g Spotify gaining popularity?
I haven't noticed too much of a shift the rise of Pandora and Spotify. They have great playlists available on their sites and apps, but they are no substitute for the real thing. Like I said earlier DJing is an intuitive process. Every audience is unique and should be catered to as such. In my opinion, Spotify is great for background music; perhaps for the pre-ceremony or dinner hours of a wedding, but other than that there is a relationship between Band/DJ and audience that can't be replicated digitally.
How do we weave the local and vibrant Sayulita music scene into our wedding?
The very aim of Sayuilta Audio is to bring together the Sayulita music scene and the Sayulita wedding scene. Both myself and especially Chino have played in multitudes of wedding functions here in Sayulita. We wanted to develop a platform where people could digitally browse the different Sayulita bands and choose them for their wedding or function. A great DJ can really move a wedding reception, and we pride ourselves on providing top-notch DJ talent, but what really excites me about this business is bringing the perfect live band to a wedding party. A live band provides so much more depth of sound and, in my opinion, greater energy and connection to an audience than a DJ. This feature is what this company is truly based on, and what truly makes us unique. Before you even get on a plane, you can already have browsed and picked the perfect band for your wedding. I love seeing the faces on the wedding party when the band lights up the stage. The bands in Sayulita are so talented and so tight. People are always blown away by how good they are and it's fun to see their reactions. I take a lot of pride in the Sayulita music scene and am happy to see it become an integral part of the wedding business here.
Any exciting news, or plans you want to share with the people of Sayulita?
As for upcoming news, we haven't got any yet; however I can tell you that we are for sure planning much more beyond the weddings we book. Chino and I will definitely be planning a fun kickoff party for the season, as well as a couple charity events. We have always believed in music as a vehicle for shaping our local communities. I have played and organized numerous fundraisers for various causes in my hometown in Wisconsin and plan on doing the same in Sayulita. Sayulita has been very good to both Chino and I and we look forward to throwing some great parties and giving back to the community.
Written by Inge Poell